It was finally over.

After eighteen years of wondering, the endless speculation in the IWC, and more than a few sleepless nights wondering himself, the answer to the single greatest question that had been haunting Steve Jason all these years had finally been answered.

When it came to who the greatest of all time was - Steve Jason or The Brand - the answer was in fact 'Steve Jason AND The Brand'.

Physically, he felt like he'd been hit with an 18-wheeler, but mentally, he felt an odd sense of calm, peace and fulfilment. He had gone into XX stating that this would be the final crescendo of his career, and the one thing that had terrified him was the idea that it may have fizzled out, he'd have been flattened by The Brand and his career would end not with a bang but with a whimper.

Thankfully it went the other way. Not only did Steve put up a fight, but indeed he somehow managed to blaze brighter than he ever had before. For one night alone, he'd become the embodiment of the XWF Legend of old that everybody had talked about. While he fell short of defeating The Brand, he achieved the next best thing - becoming the one man who took the Primo all the way to sixty minutes, never surrendering and never tasting defeat. It was the next best thing to a win, and it was perfect.

After nearly fifteen hours of sleep, Steve had jumped in his rental car. Before the drive back to the States, however, he'd taken a detour down to a secluded stretch of parkland on the shores of Lake Ontario. He pulled out of the car, decked out in a red skate t-shirt, jeans and hi-tops. The area itself was idyllic - a well maintained piece of parkland on the very edge of the lake itself. The lawns were well kept and emerald-hued, stretching out to the left and right as far as the eye could see. Ahead of him, the grass descended on an incline, where some large rocks barricaded off the waters of Lake Ontario.

Standing on the lawns, with a stubby-bottle of Bundaberg Rum and Cola in his hand, was none other than Steve's long-time best friend, Sir Douglas Henry Phidippidies McNamara III. His once-lanky frame, clad in a loud red Hawaiian shirt and boardshorts, had become a bit stouter around the stomach over time, but his unruly curls were still as golden as ever, perked under a blue baseball cap - having traded out his trademark red one for being, in his own words, 'hijacked by wankers'. By his side was the svelte form of Talia Richards, Steve's long-time agent and confidante, wearing a pale blue kaftan with her blond hair pulled back. A final, bizarre addition to the group was none other than Steve Sayors himself, the XWF Interviewer wearing a black 'I Saw The Brand Versus Steve Jason And Survived!' t-shirt over his pants, a strawberry daquiri in his free hand.

"Well look who finally decided to rock up!" Dougy boomed as Steve approached, a pearly smile on display for all to see, "Was starting to wonder if Brand had actually managed to kill you overnight or something."

"Nah. This whole being unkillable thing still seems to be working..." Steve replied, eyeing the cooler the group were standing around, "Got anything good for me?"

"Only the best, mate..." Dougy cracked open the cooler and reached in, throwing another Bundaberg Steve's way. He caught it and cracked the bottle open, taking a long sip of the sweet rum.

"Man I wish Raziel were here for this. He loved the Bundy even more than me. Did I ever tell you about that time we accidentally got a SWAT team called in to the Platinum Room?"

"Several times."

"Wait, you did WHAT?!?" Talia suddenly gaped aghast at Dougy.

"It's not the craziest thing I've witnessed over all these years." Sayors shrugged.

"You know, Sayors, one of these days you're going to have to write a book over all the crazy shit you've seen over the years. It'll probably sell pretty good."

"Perhaps when I'm retired." Sayors shrugged, "What about you, though? I mean you've dealt with evil cults, gangsters, you went through the Helldome, you almost died several times, hell I'm pretty sure you were even a ninja for a year or two. You'd have some stories to tell."

"As it turns out, I'm goddamn awful at writing."

"Really?" Sayors squinted at Steve, "Surprising. I'd have thought you were pretty good at it."

"I on the other hand..." Dougy's voice raised in a grandiose fashion, "...will be working on my magnum opus, my own autobiography. Detailing everything from my youth surfing with Steve Jason to that time Bigg Rigg threw me off a skyscraper and I got rescued by those ninjas to my search for the Lost Gold of Kim Jong-Il and when I got knighted by the Queen. Let me tell you, it's going to be amazing and..." Dougy just kept on going, clapping Sayors' shoulder and rambling on about his grandiose plans. That left Steve along with Talia.

"So. You managed to get me from 2003 to 2019 without getting killed. Nice work, Tals. And thanks for sticking by me."

"It was nothing," she replied with an impish grin, "Someone had to be the voice of reason. God knows I wasn't going to let it be Dougy."

Horror flashed over Steve at that concept.

"Oh god. Yeah. Definitely glad it was you. Did you know Dougy was going to try to wrestle once? He wanted to be a Zach Rizza-style X-treme maniac. He was going to bottle someone as a finisher."

Now it was Talia's turn to be horrified.

"Oh my God."

"Don't worry, I stopped him by warning him about Tomoko Hanahara. So what's the deal with Cayman now? You guys pulling out of the XWF talent management game now?"

"Actually no..." Talia shook her head, "It turns out my little sister's been doing some work of her own. It's a long story but there's a guy in San Francisco, apparently he's some Persian soldier or something. I don't know the details. But apparently she's got him onto a contract and he starts next week." She laughed, shaking her head, "I guess starmaking is the family business now, even without you."

"Lucy? Wasn't she in college?"

"Like a decade ago, Steve! God, time really is getting away from you, isn't it?"

"Chalk it up to old age." Steve laughed quietly, "I've heard it just gets worse from here."

The conversation continued, with far more mundane topics than we'd seek to bore you with here, with the four companions drifting into and out of each other's circles every so often- including a fifteen minute marathon session of Steve and Dougy trying to explain the concept of the sport of cricket to a clueless Sayors. After a few moments and another round of drinks later, Steve held his hand up for silence.

"Gang, I just wanted to say what a pleasure it's been these past eighteen years. I've thanked the fans, I've thanked the XWF workers as a whole, now it's my turn to say thank you for everything you've done. Dougy for being my friend for... what, thirty-eight years now?"

"Thirty-nine next week. It's the anniversary of when we got into that fight in the sandpit at kindy."

"And Talia, thanks for guiding my career and being my confidant. It's been a hell of a ride and I don't think I could have done it without the assistance of friends like you all."

"Even me?" Sayors piped in.

"Yes, Sayors, even you. You may have driven me to absolute insanity sometimes, but I consider you a friend these long years. I think I might actually miss you, you crazy bastard."

"Aw man!" Steve almost thought he could see the XWF Interviewer getting misty-eyed for a moment - one way or another, he seemed genuinely touched as he stepped forward, arms outstretched for what could only be described as the manliest of hugs.

"I'm never gonna hear the freakin' end of this..." Steve murmured before clapping Sayors' shoulder, "You take care of yourself, and don't let those wankers push you around too much, you hear?"

"I won't, Steve. I won't."

"Alright mate, well, we're gonna get the hell outta dodge." Dougy flashed a thumbs-up to his old friend, "I want to try to clear Viagra Falls before it starts getting dark."

The resounding laughs from Steve, Sayors and Talia echoed out over the lake. Dougy blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"It's pronounced 'Niagara', Dougy..." Sayors corrected him.

"Oh. Anyway. We'll have to hang out and watch the cricket soon, eh mate?"

"You bet your arse we will. We've got a lot of hijinks to get caught up on, you and I."

"Oh god." Talia's eyes widened in horror at the ramifications of a permanently-unemployed Steve and Dougy tearing it up, "Oh dear."

Dougy on the other hand flashed a pearly smile.

"Aw mate that's what I'm talking about! We'll crack the Bundy. Maybe you can even get that Noah Jackson guy involved. That man is a true patriot and I'm dying to shake his hand and think him for keeping the Australian dream alive."

"Don't really know him that well I'm afraid... and he did kind of beat up my other best friend so I don't know if that's gonna work. But we'll definitely tear it up, mate. I'll see you in a few."

With a nod and another thumbs-up, Dougy made his way up the slopes towards the parking lot. Talia followed at a much more sedate pace, waving once before they disappeared from sight, leaving Steve and Sayors alone on the grass.

"We've had some times, haven't we, Sayors?" Steve asked finally.

"We have. Have you considered staying? The XWF has some rough days ahead of it. With Unknown Soldier running rampant and with the shadow of Shane lurking, we could use your help. Already Soldier seems to be seething and trying to stab at your legacy."

Steve already knew the answer to that- and he wasn't exactly going to deviate from it now.

"Let him seethe. I have confidence in the XWF talent. Robert Main will deal with Soldier. If he doesn't, there will be others who will. Shane - well, the drugs will probably get him before long. Cyren's probably already dead- again. In any case, there are now stars who can lead the XWF where it needs to be. You've already got Ned Kaye showing some serious heart, and others will follow. The XWF has its own heroes just waiting to forge their destiny. It doesn't need my intervention any more."

"They'll call you a coward…" Sayors pointed out.

"I don't care. Let them."

Sayors eyed Steve thoughtfully, "You really are past this, aren't you? There's a time where you wouldn't have been able to let something like that fly."

"A long time's passed since then. As an old Australian adage goes, she'll be right. You know that better than anyone. You've seen worse than Soldier rise and fall."

"Well, I can't exactly deny you your rest." Sayors concluded, "It has been a hell of a ride too, Steve. Thanks for... you know, not killing me all those times I let myself into your apartment, your parties, your vacations, etcetera."

"Think nothing of it. I will give you this, Sayors, you are perhaps the most dedicated man at your job I know."

Sayors nodded, then looked down at his watch, "Look, I have to get back. I've got a long flight across the pond tomorrow for Warfare. You take care of yourself though, OK?"

"Don't I always?" Steve smirked back at his friend.

With confirmation, Sayors scooted up the slope, leaving Steve alone on the grassy expanse. He stood quietly for a few moments, then crossed the lawns towards the rocky outcrops overlooking Lake Ontario. The waters lapped gently around him, and he focused his attention on the waters and on the pinkish tinge of the setting sun. A surge of relaxation hit him, and tension seemed to flood out of his shoulders, with the weight of the world leaving him.

For the first time, he knew his career was behind him, and it was exactly where he needed to be. The only question left to answer was- what happened now? What was the next phase in his life now that wrestling was over?

The answer literally crossed the lawns in the pinkish light of the dusk, a slender, nearly five foot flat figure moving gracefully towards him, blond curls trailing behind her. Steve couldn't help but smile at the sight of Angelique Deveraux - younger sister of now XWF Legend Star - as she crossed the lawns in a white sundress. She looked every bit her namesake, and even the sunlight seemed to shine off her like the proverbial angel. As she got close, Steve smiled.

"You came."

"I had to." Her soft French-accented voice caught Steve - like it always did - while she smiled radiantly at him, sitting down next to him along the rocks, "After all, you're retiring, Etoile's got her family to go back to. This might be the last time I see you so I had to come."

"I'm glad you did."

"How are you feeling? Last night was big for you."

"It's still sinking in, to be honest. I've spend the last eighteen years of my life doing this. Even the times I was on hiatus, I wasn't exactly out of the business. There was always that knowledge I'd be back one day. This time it's not like that. I know the book's closed now. It's kind of a sense of... uncertainty, I suppose? But not the bad kind. If you catch my meaning."

"Not totally..." She smiled, "But it's still worth celebrating, no?"

At that moment, Steve's noticed that in one hand she had a couple of glasses, and in the other she held a bottle of champagne. Steve perked up at that.

"Ooh! A little bit of the bubblay!"

"What did you just say?" Angel laughed softly, an eyebrow quirking. Steve just grinned.

"Never mind. I could certainly go some, though."

After they'd filled up their glasses, Angel reached her own glass up, smiling, "To the future then, Steve Jason."

"To the future, Angelique Devereux." Steve clinked the glass against hers. The two sat quietly, side by side, sipping from their glasses every so often. Finally, Steve spoke.

"Angel?"

"Oui?"

"You said this is the last time we might see each other." Steve began, looking out over the lake as he spoke, "What if it didn't have to be?"

"What do you mean exactly?"

"Well. I mean, I'm going to be staying in touch with some of my other friends in the business, and I'm pretty sure I'll even be saying hey to your sister every now and then, so..." He gritted his teeth. This was not going the way he wanted it to. It never did. For some reason, he kept dancing around the point with her, and it had already cost him so much time. With a sudden steeling of resolve, he mentally pulled himself out of the proverbial tailspin.

"Ah, screw it. This may be the last chance I have to say it, so…" He swallowed, a brief flash of trepidation coming over him. He forced it down into the pit of his stomach, then continued, "…I'm in love with you, Angelique Deveraux. I have been for years. We've flitted into and out of each other's lives throughout the years, and I never had the guts to anchor us down. Well, it's done now. My career is over, and I have no idea what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go now. But I do know wherever and whatever I do, I want it to be with you. So let's run away."

"Run away?" Her baby blues flashed at that, "As in... forever?"

"Well we'd come back, obviously. We've got families we can't exactly skip out on. But right now I feel like disappearing for a few days. Let the XX buzz die down, let the hype dissipate, and then get on with my life." Steve turned to Angel, his lips quirking into a smirk, "So what do you say, darlin'? Are you in?"

What happened next was almost as if he was on autopilot. Angel leaned in towards him, and Steve cupped one hand beneath her chin, drawing her in to him as the two of them kissed. Sparks shot through Steve's head - god knew it had been years coming. He felt her almost seem to melt into him - evidently, she agreed on that front.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally broke off the kiss. Steve's eyes opened first, then Angel's, and they both looked into each other's gaze for a few moments before Steve spoke, a short chuckle leading it.

"Heh. I will take that as a yes."

"Of course, mon cher." she smiled.

Steve grinned and reached up to take another sip of his champagne with his free hand. He felt a sudden slight weight shift on his shoulder as Angel leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder. His hand found hers, closing around as they drew in together, watching the last rays of the sun disappear beneath Lake Ontario, as if the sun had set on Steve's old life and the next day, a whole new world would begin.

[THE END]

OOC: Hope you enjoyed, guys! This is the conclusion of SJ's story- this is pretty much the perfect place for it. I figured I would bring the classic triad of SJ/Dougy/Talia for the final sendoff - for those who don't know my older stuff, they were mainstays so it felt right to use them.

Thanks to Star for agreeing to the perfect way to wrap things up. Thank you to everyone for welcoming me back to finish this story up, thanks to James Raven for his passion and dedication to getting this event up and running. The list of people I'd have to give credit to over the years is so long I can't post it for fear of leaving someone out who well and truly deserves it. You're all awesome.